Nicholls appointed hospitality disability ambassador

By Lisa Riley

Published: 28 July, 2021

UK Hospitality (UKH) CEO Kate Nicholls has been appointed as the hospitality sector’s first disability ambassador to date as part of the government’s new National Disability Strategy.

Commenting on her new role, Nicholls said: “I am honoured to have been appointed as the hospitality sector’s first disability ambassador, a role that I shall use to ensure that our sector becomes even better at accommodating customers with disabilities, as well as providing employment – there is huge potential for great jobs and careers for those with disabilities.

“This will boost the difference that we can make to deliver on our previous commitment in the Tourism Sector Deal, to make our sector more accessible and to work to broaden public understanding of disability and accessibility, beyond simply visible disabilities,” she said.

The hospitality sector had always striven to welcome team members and customers from all backgrounds and levels of physical or mental ability, but today’s announcement would provide the basis to improve yet further its ability to do so, Nicholls added.

“The ongoing reopening of venues has underlined the prime objective of hospitality - to make people feel safe, welcome and comfortable, in order to enjoy good company and great food and drink. There ought to be no impediments to the nation’s 14 million people living with disability to miss out on the same pleasures that hospitality brings to the rest of the nation, either as a customer or as a valued member of staff, and so we welcome today’s strategy to that end.”

UKH is the authoritative voice for over 730 companies operating around 85,000 venues in a sector that employed 3.2 million people prior to Covid.

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